Fundraiser

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Estancia High School cheerleaders on Thursday attended a political fundraiser for a Costa Mesa City Council candidate - the second time this a month. But this time they didn't sport their uniforms. The group - seven of the squad's 30 or so cheerleaders - acted as greeters at Councilman Steve Mensinger's campaign kick-off at South Coast Collection, but did not don their Estancia gear, cheer Coach Yumi Wantanabe-Patterson said. On June 14, seven uniformed Estancia cheerleaders greeted guests to Planning Commissioner Colin McCarthy's campaign launch for City Council at The Triangle.

Luxury swimwear company BeachCandy will host its first annual Christmas fundraiser for Children's Hospital of Orange County on Sunday, a news release said. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at BeachCandy Swimwear's store on East Coast Highway in Corona del Mar. Half of the proceeds from the Christmas bazaar - which will feature booths selling products from Dolly's Cotton Candy, Sweet Skin Studio, Ritual Cleanse, Petals & Panache and One Hope wines, among others - will go to the hospital's foundation.

Taco Asylum is joining the disaster relief efforts for Hurricane Sandy victims. From 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday, 100% of the restaurant's profits will be donated to the Red Cross Disaster Relief fund. Previously, restaurant partners Greg Daniels, Wil Dee and Ace Patel raised $27,000 at Haven Gastropub in Orange for victims of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and victims of the 2011 tsunami in Japan, according to an email announcement. Taco Asylum is at The CAMP, 2937 Bristol St. B102, Costa Mesa.

The Estancia High cross country and track and field programs will hold its annual 5K fundraiser Sunday morning at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa. The cost to run in the 5K is $30 and it includes a pancake breakfast and T-shirt. There will also be a kids' 1,000-meter race, which costs $10 per runner. The 5K race will begin at 8 a.m. and the kids will run afterward. - From staff reports

Nonprofit Girls Inc., which serves girls younger than 18, raised more than $205,000 at a fundraiser at a Costa Mesa hotel, the organization announced Wednesday. More than 250 people attended a luncheon at the Westin South Coast Plaza on Friday to raise money for the group. Hoag Hospital, Pacific Investment Management Co. Foundation and Disneyland Resort were among the contributors at the luncheon, according to Girls Inc. Since 1954, Girls Inc. has been active in the Orange County community and reaches 4,000 Orange County girls each year, according to the group.

With help from an anonymous donor, a local nonprofit organization aims to bring in $200,000 in donations at an annual fundraiser, said an event official Wednesday. The Circle of Life Breakfast, the biggest fundraiser of the year for New Directions for Women — a Costa Mesa group that provides rehab and recovery services to women — is scheduled for March 28 at the Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach. Last year, the event netted about $80,000. This year, an anonymous donor has pledged to match contributions dollar-for-dollar, said Becky Flood, the organization's chief executive officer.

The Solomon Society, a men's fraternal organization associated with the Jewish Federation & Family Services of Orange County, held its annual event billed as "'Late Night' with the Solomon Society … Cocktails, Cuisine and Comedy for a Cause. " Hundreds of men joined together for the gathering Sept. 13, which starred comedian Paul Reiser . The actor, musician and writer is probably best known for his role in the NBC television series "Mad About You. " The Solomon Society is co-chaired by Michael and David Stoll . The evening was co-chaired by Kenny Beard , Gideon Bernstein , Peter MacDonald , David Weinberg and Sam Wyman . The event unfolded at the Grove of Anaheim with a 5 p.m. VIP reception featuring a Glenfiddich scotch tasting and a "meet and greet" with Reiser.

In the spirit of the Roaring Twenties, men and women young and old took to the Center Club on Friday for an evening of food, dance, a silent auction and a little bit of luck in the faux casino. The event was "The Gatsby Affair," a benefit for the Costa Mesa Senior Center that officials said was the center's first fundraiser in eight years. More than 190 were expected to attend the event at the Center Club , the private South Coast Metro venue next to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

On day 55 of his journey, Darrian Balongie stopped in Newport Beach to rest and change out his longboard, which had begun to crack from his sometimes rough coast-to-coast voyage. With a 40-pound backpack and bass guitar strapped to his back, the Memphis, Tenn., resident was on the tail end of skateboarding 4,300 miles from New York City to San Diego to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. St. Jude has a special spot in Balongie's heart: It's the hospital that treated his young cousin so well in the months before his death from acute myelogenous leukemia.

Last week’s fundraiser for local Marines at A Restaurant in Newport Beach was so successful that organizers have already planned another one for next year. In fact, they have decided to make it an annual event. When the restaurant closed late July 8, organizers collected about $6,000 for the 1st Battalion 1st Marines. Two local patrons — David Pyle and Joseph McGinty Nichol, better known as movie director McG — each agreed to match the bartenders’ tips for the night.